WeKnow

Technology: Special Programs

Hobgood Elementary, a NASA Explorer School  (K-6 School)

Through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Explorer program, Hobgood School educators are teaching young students to apply science, mathematics and technology to real-world issues and problems, and helping them discover an array of interesting careers at NASA.

“The NASA Explorer School program opens up a world of opportunities and resources that teachers dream about,” says Mel Prater, a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher. “The program enriches our instruction and opens the eyes of students to the many possibilities in their future.”

As one of only two NASA Explorer Schools in Tennessee, Hobgood allows students to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of NASA scientists, engineers, and researchers through the digital learning network (DLN). With the DLN, learners at all levels can interact directly with NASA experts and become engaged in NASA research, discoveries, and missions.

“Hands-on activities make learning more fun for students and teachers,” Prater says. “The students get excited about learning as they discover how these skills can be applied in their everyday lives.”

Another key component of Hobgood’s program is an on-site greenhouse laboratory. Students from the first through sixth grades plant flowers and vegetables, and sell them to the community. The profits help fund a field trip to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

“Students have learned how to take a $.98-cent package of tomato seeds and turn them into 150 plants to sell for profit,” Prater says. “The program has been successful in many ways.”

The NASA program also allows Hobgood students to experience culture in new ways. Through the Global Friendship through Space Education Foundation, another NASA affiliate, fifth and sixth graders e-mail and communicate by live video conference about space science with students at KOC College in Istanbul Turkey and Turk College in Izmir, Turkey.

“Communicating with the students from Turkey has been eye-opening for our students,” Prater says. “They realized that the students from Turkey are much like them.

Sam Myers, a sixth grader, is one of three students who will attend space camp in Turkey over the summer.

“We saw pictures of the students from Turkey and their clothes looked just like ours,” Myers says. “They’re like us, just in a different country. I thought they might be different, but they read the same books and listen to the same music.”

Like other students, Myers has been inspired by the NASA program to think big about his future.

“I look forward to working for NASA,” Myers says. “I used to think NASA was only for astronauts and scientists, but now I know that lots of different job are available. …I could even work as an attorney.”

As a NASA Explorer School, Hobgood is proving that making learning fun works. In 2007, students in grades 3-6 combined generated a higher average test score for math, reading/language, social studies and science. Hobgood maintains a grade “A” in the core areas of study and scores continue to climb.